Conveyer-bucket.



S. E. PFA-HLER.

CONVEYER BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. l9l6.

1,21 3,408. Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

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converse-BUCKET.

Tooall whom it may concern 1 Be it known that ;I,.SoAMn E. PFA LER, a citizen of the. United States of America, residing at Hopewell, in the county of Prince George and'State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyer-Buckets, of which the following is a specification.-

The present invention relates to improvements in conveyer buckets, and is designed to improve the structure of such buckets, primarily for use in connection with concrete feeding devices, as set forth in my co-pending. application .for ,patent, filed March 20, 1916, Ser. No. 85,323.

The primary object ofthe invention is the provision of a conveyer bucket,the capacity of which may be varied to suit different conditions in order that a plurality or series of buckets may be used jointly, in which varying quantities of materials may be contained. Thus, in .a concrete mixing machine, it is desired to feed, simultaneously, varying quantities of sand, gravel, and cement, and to accomplish this purpose Iutilize these adjustable conveyer -buckets, jointly, and may vary the proportion of materials fed in accordance with the quantities required.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of an adjustable bottom for the bucket as will be de-v scribed and pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated a complete example of one of my l improved buckets constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the conveyor buckets constructed according to and embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the bucket. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the bucket. Fig. at is a perspective View, bottom side up, of the adjustable bottom for the bucket.

In the preferred embodiment of my'invention as illustrated in the drawings the body 1 of the bucket is made of metal of-suitable dimensions and weight, open at both top and bottom, and the wall that may be called the inner wall of the bucket has attached thereto a pair of eye plates as 2 by means of which the bucket is attached to a conveyer belt or chain in customary manner.

Across the open lower end of the bucket,

' f Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, am.

' Application filed March 20, 1916. Serial No. 85,324.

abridge plateor strap 3 is positioned, and the bent ends or flanges 4 ofthis plate are riveted at 5 to the sides of the bucket. This bridge plate is perforated to receive a looking bolt 6, which is threaded to receive the nut 7, the bolt, preferablybeing rigidly secured in the plate.

The body of the bucket is U-shaped and open at both ends, but the open side of the body is closed by a hinged front wall or. lid 8, of metal, formed with side flanges 9 .to close over. the edges of the walls of the bucket body and reinforce the same, and this front wall may swing open on its rivets or bolts 10, 10 which are passed through perforations in the edges of the bucketbody and the flanges .9 9 as clearly seen in the drawings. At its lower, free end, the flanges 9 9 of the lid are dispensed with and the metal .of the lidis bent inwardly to form an end flange as 11 which is provided with an open end slot 12 tofit about the bolt 6 in the bridge plate 3, and the flange 11 is adapted to overlap the bridge plate as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. It will be apparent that by means of the bolt 6, and its nut 7, the lid maybe locked securely in position 'on the bucket body,,but when the nut-7 is withdrawn, the lid, because of the presence of the open end slot 12, may be swung free of the bridge plate and bolt in order to adjust the adjustable bottom plate 1310f the bucket; This plate 13 is illustrated of rectangular form to conform to the interior outline of the bucket body and across the under side of the late are attached a plurality of metal bars, our being illustrated, as 14:, each of which is provided at spaced intervals with widened and flattened perforated portions 15 through which rivets 16 are passed and by means of which these bars are secured to the plate. The ends of the bars project at opposite sides from the plate as indicated at 17 and 17 and are of suflicient size and shape to enter sockets 18 and 19 provided in the inner faces of the front wall or lid 8 and the back wall of the bucket respectively.

The sockets 18 and 19 are arranged in sets of four and there are four of these sets. It will be noted that the front and back Walls or lid and back wall of the bucket are not parallel, as are the two side walls of the bucket, and that the tapering or converging walls of the bucket are wider at the top than at the bottom. The bucket is approximately of a diamond shape with its upper and lower opposite corners nearly in line when the bucket is attached to the belt or chain in operative position for carrying a load. Thus it will be seen that the opposing sets of sockets are, in their horizontal relationship, arranged in staggered positions so that the corresponding sets of sockets to receive the bar ends 17 and 17 are spaced the same distance apart, but in different horizontal planes, and this arrangement permits the use of the same bottom plate 13 in different positions.

The sockets 18 and 19 extend clear through the material, but are closed by metallic straps as 20 riveted at 21 to the lid, and straps 22 riveted at 23 to the rear wall of the bucket, and to afford a deeper socket for the bar ends the straps may also be indented, if desired.

The construction and operation of the bucket will be readily understood. If the capacity of the bucket is to be increased, the nut 7 is removed, the lid 8 is swung open, and the bottom plate 13 is withdrawn from the sockets 19. The bar ends 17 are then placed in the lower or lowermost set of sockets, the bottom plate is adjusted to its approximate position, and then the lid is swung upon its hinges and the sockets 18 are closed or fitted over the projecting ends 17 after which the nut 7 is turned home to lock the lid and also the bottom plate in the bucket.

From the above description taken in connection with my drawings it is evident that I have provided a bucket that isadaptable for use in connection with many different materials and for many different purposes, and in which the capacity of the bucket may be increased or decreased with facility and despatch, thus fulfilling the requirements of a comparatively perfect device.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a conveyer bucket comprising a fixed rear wall and two sides formed with an open top and bottom and provided with a'hinged front wall, of a removable bottom plate provided with retaining pins, and sockets in the front wall and fixed rear wall to receive said pins, and means for locking the hinged wall to the bucket.

2. The combination with a bucket comprising a rear fixed wall and two sides and having open ends and a removable front wall adapted to close the open front of the bucket and retaining devices in the bucket, of a removable adjustable bottom plate for the bucket having means co-acting with said devices for holding the bottom plate in adjusted position.

3. The combination with a conveyer bucket having a hinged front wall, a bridge plate and means for locking said wall to the plate, of an adjustable bottom formed with retaining pins, and a plurality of oppositely disposed sets of sockets in the bucket walls to receive said pins.

4. The combination in a conveyer bucket open at both ends and formed with tapered sides, of a front wall hinged to the bucket and converging toward its lower end, sockets in the front wall and in the opposite wall of the bucket, and a bottom plate for the bucket having retaining devices in said sockets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SOAME E. PFAHLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. 0. 

